Haarlem
Haarlem, only 24 km, or 15 minutes on the train, away from Amsterdam is a good destination
for a short trip if you are becoming jaded with the big city.

With a population of around 150,000, it's not exactly a village itself,
but it has a noticeably more relaxed feel than the capital. The centre is
typical of the major towns in the west of Holland: canals, 17th century
merchants' houses and a town hall and church that face each other across
the market square.

Haarlem is one of Holland's most attractive old towns and also worth visiting by those
with a thirst for something other than beer.

Historically, Haarlem was a far more important brewing centre than Amsterdam
or Rotterdam. The industrialisation of brewing at the end of the 19th century
snuffed out the tradition. Yet not everything has been lost, as you will
read below. Classic Haarlem beer styles from before 1700 have been lovingly
recreated.

Beer from Haarlem
Now that we're on the subject of beer - which is, after all, the pupose
of this page - it's intersting to note that Haarlem is the only town in
Holland to have its own unique beer style.

A group of local enthusiasts got a bit carried away with Haarlem's 750th anniversary
celebrations (in 1995) and recreated a 16th century beer. It went down so well that
they kept brewing it (under conrtract) after the celebrations had ended. Further recreations
have followed since.

Haarlems
Jopenbier
Jopenbier is a recreation of the beer which made Haarlem one of the biggest beer exporting
towns in the 16th century. It's brewed for the Haarlems Biergenootschap by De
Halve Maan, not in Haarlem but at Hulst in Zeeuwse Vlaanderen. It was first
brewed at the end of 1994 and was intended to celebrate the 750th anniversary of Haarlem
in 1995.

A recipe from 1501 is used as the basis, though the modern version isn't exactly the
same as the 16th century original. It's intersting to see the grains which were used
in the late Middle Ages to produce beer; up to 75% was malted oats, with the remainder
being made up of malted wheat and barley, though sometimes with none of the latter
at all. By the beginning of the 16th century the proportion of oats had fallen, but
was still over 50%.

The grist for the modern version consists of 55% barley, 25% wheat and 20% oats, which,
though not as extreme as the original, is still unusual for the present day. It is
amber in colour, 6.5% alcohol and unfiltered. The aroma is a lovely mixture of hop
bitterness and sweet spicy coriander. In the mouth there is a touch of fruit and even
a little sourness, probably from the hops. The finish is very long and again beautifully
combines spiciness and bitterness. A flavoursome and distinctive beer which is one
of the most welcome recent additions to the gamma of Dutch beer. I hope plenty of
others appreciate it as much as I do. Happily. it is widely available in the town,
often on draught.

Haarlems Koyt
Delving even further back into the town's brewing past, the Haarlems Biergenootschap
has come up with a second beer, Haarlems Koyt . This uses
a recipe from 1407 and is brewed from barley, wheat and oats. What is particularly
interesting, is that 'gruit', or a mixture of spices, is used for bittering
rather than hops. This was the practice all over Europe before the introduction
of hops and control of gruit was used as a method of taxing beer. Due to
the modern public's rather different expectations of how beer should taste,
a small amount of hops are also used. It is 8.6% alcohol and, unsurprisingly,
has a very spicy flavour.

It's very heartening that Haarlem should have enough interest in it's own
illustrious brewing history for these beers to have been resurrected and
to be so commonly found in the city's pubs.

Haarlem Breweries
Though 'Haarlems' Jopenbier is not currently produced in Haarlem, that will
soon change. n historic building in the town centre is being converted into
a brewpub by Jopen. Then Haarlem will finally have its beers back home.

Tucked
away down an unpromising side street on the station side of the city centre
(the beerguide speak is going well today), is a dichotic paradox.

I will expand (that OU course is doing wonders for my prose style): My photos
- yes mine, Matt, because yours were all crap - give a false impression.
Quite typically, for me. I portray the backstreet, brown cafe identity.
Just about all of it.

If my camera were able to operate in poorer light, you may have seen the
minimalist theme that lurks, somewhat uncannily, behind my head (in this
shot). Or maybe not. My personal architecural demons are the invisible directors
behind every snap I take. That's why I asked Matt to assume some of the
visual encatchment operations.

Returning to something relevant for the rest of you, my image of the interior
typifies perfectly what Bruxelles isn't like. Functionalist with an almost
squat-like intensity, it evokes the emptiness of my mind in search of an
aposite noun. Stark, ineffective, yet poignant. Even better, they have draught
beer, sadly absent from the barren desert of my imagination.

Anywhere that doesn't open until late afternoon always risks a review from
Mr. Magoo. And tempertures above 20.1º C contribute little to my lucidity.
I'll revisit when snow next falls.

A friendly, if somewhat spartan, beer café, with an eetcafé
nuance. I liked it; Matt - what did you think?

Visiting
during an unusual spout of bad, sorry, warm weather, the threat of dehydration
alone drove me through the doors.

Don't expect a great choice of beer. The leaden hand of a Heineken tie weighs
upon the selection. But it looks good inside. In an Art-Nouveauy way that's
reminiscent of a Brussels boozer

For me, the ceiling fans were a big problem (not an issue, that's what magazines
have). Given Holland's wonderful climate (I'm really not joking), it doesn't
surprise that they are unused for 51 weeks of the year. They're just for
show. I was there in the 52nd week and they were as immobile as in December.

Outside seating, though present, is crammed into a strip barely a metre
wide and offers minimal al fresco opportunities. The pedestrianised strip
of unwise consumer temptations it faces drive one into the pubs stygian
depths. Decorative tiles and polished brass are a hint that satan is elsewhere.

Though the beer selection is not great, it does include Haarlems Jopenbier
amongst the bottles (at least sometimes).

You would have to be totally dysoriental to be unable to find Studio,
situated as it is bang opposite the church on the main square. It has a single square
room with the bar running the full length of one wall. Above the centre of the room
is a massive opaque glass light fitting - like a huge upsidedown lampshade - which
must date from the buildings previous function as a cinema café. It has a sort of
20's look, which I suppose fits in nicely with the slight cinema theme. Everything
is wooden (apart from the beer taps, of course), but in a shade that is dark beige
rather than out and out crispy golden black.

Outside on the square is a large terrace, with a very pleasing view of the church
and the 17th century buildings clumped around it, as well as whatever trendies there
are sunning themselves or strolling around trying to look cool.

Studio is the oldest specialist beer bar in Haarlem. No surprise, then, that the beer
selection is excellent, with the guest taps featuring some pretty obscure items.

Vischhandel - fish shop - is what it says on the art-deco facade of
this pub, but don't believe a word of it. Once inside there is an odd, rambling pub
with an interior which looks at least a couple of centuries older than the 1905 date
embossed in stone outside.

It really is a strange jumble of green wood panelling and junk furniture. The photos
and prints which cover large sections of the walls have an aviation theme, though
surely something seafaring would have been more appropriate, given it's former use
in the fish trade (and its address). Perhaps a previous occupant was an arial fisherman.?
At the very back is an odd room, lit only by a coloured skylight, which looks like
the private sitting room of a sea captain.

A very, very eccentric pub, not quite like anything I've ever come across
before. An incredible atmosphere, which sould not be missed, despite the
limited beer selection (though they do now have the complete Jopen range
in bottles).

In a simple 20's building, you could easily be misled by the neon sign
into thinking that Café Koops is one of those sparse, modern pubs so beloved
by trendy Holland. No - it's another pub with a full timbered interior, this time
in a slightly sickly shade of mustard yellow (let's hope we don't have a chlorine
gas attack during opening hours, because we wouldn't notice until far too late).

It's a mixture of indeterminately old and 1920's, the light fittings have some top
hole glasswork from this latter period. The pre-war advertising posters carry on the
theme from this period in an appropriate manner. Again, there are some very idiosyncratic
parts to the design; now why exactly is there a sash window between two parts of the
room? Wacky and original.

The beers are rather more serious here, if a little too Interbrew. Still, they do
have Jopenbier on draught.